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Mastitis – inflammation of the milk gland of an animal
| By pinoyfarmer | March 5, 2010 |  |
MASTITIS
Mastitis is inflammation of the milk gland of an animal
Symptoms
- The udder is swollen, hard, warm and painful.
- Necrosis (dying-off) of udder tissue occurs and the cow could die.
- The cow is often feverish, does not eat and produces less milk.
- The milk has a different appearance. It could, for example, be watery or it might contain mucus, pus or even blood.
Causes
A variety of micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and yeasts cause mastitis. Factors which contribute to the disease are:
- a wet climate
- sawdust containing dung
- dirty equipment and dirty water in the dairy
- infected cows in the herd.
Treatment
- Dose with a suitable antibiotic according to directions under conditions of strict hygiene.
- Swollen, hard, warm udders must be carefully and gently massaged.
- The udder must be milked 2 or 3 times a day.
- Bury the milk or dispose of it into a sewage system.
Control
- Maintain good hygiene during milking.
- Cut off any long hair on the udder. Wipe the teats with dry, disposable paper.
- Wash dirty teats under running water and dry them well with disposable paper.
- Use a test beaker at every milking to see whether the milk contains mucus, pus or blood.
- Teat liners of milking machines must be washed and disinfected after every milking.
- Dip teats in a suitable teat remedy after every milking.
- Hands must be clean when teat ointment (salve) is applied or when milking by hand.
- The people milking the cows must not have any sores on their hands.
Management
- Separate infected cows from the rest of the herd and milk them last.
- Buy only healthy animals.
Remember
Consult your local animal health technician or a veterinarian if mastitis is an ongoing problem in the herd.
Reference: Compiled by the National Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Directorate Animal Health Printed and published in the Republic of South Africa by the National Department of Agriculture and obtainable from the Resource Centre, Directorate Communication, Private Bag X144, Pretoria 0001 1996
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